August 21, 2026

@michaelokun

What resonates with me about this study is the idea that DBS may ultimately become much more than a therapy for movement. Cole and colleagues studied 17 people with Parkinson’s disease and found that 4-Hz theta-frequency STN stimulation improved accuracy on a cognitive task specifically in those with cognitive impairment, while conventional ~130-Hz stimulation remained better for motor symptoms. The fascinating concept here is that different frequencies may engage different brain networks and different symptoms. Could future DBS devices shift frequencies, targets, or stimulation patterns in real time, using high-frequency stimulation for movement and theta stimulation when the brain needs help with cognition? We are not there yet. This was a small study, cognitive benefit was demonstrated on a laboratory task rather than everyday function, and 4-Hz stimulation provided less motor benefit than conventional DBS. However, this is exactly the direction I believe the field should be moving: from stimulating a brain target to treating a brain network, and eventually treating multiple symptoms with more specific patterns of stimulation. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41531-026-01529-y